Activation plans for Cyprus (5B) - Chat GPT results

Activation Reports Pre-Planning
1

Off to Cyprus at the end November for 10 days. I’ll get away with a few days of activating :smile:

Just for a laugh I put the following into Chat GPT.

“For Summits on the Air, create a 6 day itineray activating up to 3 summits per day on cyprus.” ( noticed afterwards the spelling typo…. it didn’t seem to bother Chat GPT at all!)

I wasn’t expecting much to be honest….. so when this came back…. “mind blown”!

I haven’t looked how well it has done in terms of driving, routes, time to walk etc. But just getting something back like this was a surprise.

Creating a 6-day itinerary for activating summits on Cyprus as part of the Summits on the Air (SOTA) program requires some careful planning to explore the beautiful mountain regions while maximizing the number of summits you can activate. Cyprus has several SOTA summits, primarily located in the Troodos Mountains.

6-Day Itinerary for SOTA Activation in Cyprus

Day 1: Troodos Mountains Activation

  • Summit 1: Mount Olympus (Psycharis) - SOTA: 5B/CY-001
    • Elevation: 1,952 meters
    • Morning activation: 9 AM - 11 AM
  • Summit 2: Mount Kionia - SOTA: 5B/CY-005
    • Elevation: 1,539 meters
    • Afternoon activation: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Summit 3: Chamili - SOTA: 5B/CY-006
    • Elevation: 1,500 meters
    • Late afternoon activation: 4 PM - 6 PM

Day 2: Troodos Area

  • Summit 1: Papoutsa - SOTA: 5B/CY-010
    • Elevation: 1,411 meters
    • Morning activation: 9 AM - 11 AM
  • Summit 2: Kamares - SOTA: 5B/CY-008
    • Elevation: 1,525 meters
    • Afternoon activation: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Summit 3: Vouni - SOTA: 5B/CY-011
    • Elevation: 1,211 meters
    • Late afternoon activation: 4 PM - 6 PM

Day 3: Akamas Peninsula Region

  • Summit 1: Moutti Tis Piskopias - SOTA: 5B/CY-012
    • Elevation: 1,668 meters
    • Morning activation: 9 AM - 11 AM
  • Summit 2: Moutti Tis Afrika - SOTA: 5B/CY-013
    • Elevation: 1,420 meters
    • Afternoon activation: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Summit 3: Moutti Tis Ktima - SOTA: 5B/CY-014
    • Elevation: 1,200 meters
    • Late afternoon activation: 4 PM - 6 PM

Day 4: Going East into the Troodos

  • Summit 1: Kykko - SOTA: 5B/CY-015
    • Elevation: 1,370 meters
    • Morning activation: 9 AM - 11 AM
  • Summit 2: Agios Nikolaos - SOTA: 5B/CY-016
    • Elevation: 1,530 meters
    • Afternoon activation: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Summit 3: Mount Syllatos - SOTA: 5B/CY-017
    • Elevation: 1,420 meters
    • Late afternoon activation: 4 PM - 6 PM

Day 5: Southern Mountains

  • Summit 1: Kremmidas - SOTA: 5B/CY-018
    • Elevation: 1,100 meters
    • Morning activation: 9 AM - 11 AM
  • Summit 2: Lemonites - SOTA: 5B/CY-019
    • Elevation: 1,400 meters
    • Afternoon activation: 1 PM - 3 PM
  • Summit 3: Kato Drys - SOTA: 5B/CY-020
    • Elevation: 800 meters
    • Late afternoon activation: 4 PM - 6 PM

Day 6: Relax and Explore

  • Option 1: Revisit Favorite Summit for additional activations or explore lower summits.
  • Option 2: Tour of historical sites in nearby towns.

Tips:

  • Always check the weather conditions before heading to the summits.
  • Ensure your equipment is ready: radio, antenna, batteries, and any supporting gear.
  • Consider the travel times between summits, allowing for breaks and activation setup.
  • Respect local regulations and wildlife protection areas while activating.

This itinerary should provide a well-rounded experience of SOTA activation in Cyprus while enjoying its scenic landscapes!

3 Likes
2

Don’t rely on GPS in Cyprus. Plenty of reports of local jamming / disruption and more global disruption due to proximity to 4X-land and that nice Mr. Putin’s activities.

Have fun.

2 Likes
3

Useful info Andy, I’ve got fairly lazy with my Nav of late, it is just too quick and easy to use the phone when I’m in a hurry…. I’ll print some paper map segments and get a local road map from the hire company when I arrive.

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4

Well, I’ve started looking at this itinerary. The peak list is OK, but the order is a bit odd, requiring driving past summits to get to other ones. But… it’s a nice starter.

5

It was about 20 years ago, but I cycled up Mount Olympus very early one morning. I seem to recall, you reach the gates of the British Military base and that’s as far as you can go. There were no photograph signs everywhere and a lot of radar gear / golf ball type domes.

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6

Yeah, there’s advice from other activators on how to be unobtrusive and still be inside the AZ. Last thing I want is a confrontation with some sort of military guard.

1 Like
7 
There are possibilities for the activity to fall within the rules.

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8

Gerald,

During my trip to Cyprus in September 2024, I took advantage of my holiday to activate four SOTA peaks (two peaks per day).

On the first day, I activated 5B/CY-001 very close to the top of the ski lift in the AZ. There were no problems with the military.

I then went to 5B/CY-007, where there is a beautiful chapel:

A wonderful discovery, highly recommended.

On the second day, I did two very easy activation’s so as not to leave my wife alone at the hotel for too long: 5B/CY-035 and 5B/CY-042.

I wish you a pleasant stay and hope to make a QSO with you, and perhaps a complete one.

73’s

Laurent from F8CZI

3 Likes
9

Didn’t have any issues January 2024.

Take skis

It obviously doesn’t understand SOTA operators. :rofl:

Lots of drive up summits on Cyprus, so get a robust car and save your legs. :blush:

3 Likes
10

Thanks for the information. All of those summits are on my list. 42 and 35 are my first two targets. Probably Monday 1st Dec. Look for alerts.

Do you think snow is likely in early December?

That’s the plan. Not getting a 4WD, but I’ve booked a high riding SUV.

2 Likes
11

I did in September 2024, lost position twice due to GPS spoofing sending my sat nav completely up the left.

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12

Best take a torch….

I assume it would give you a somewhat different itinerary taking sunset times into account when specifying the time of year in the query.

Enjoy your visit!

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13

Not according to Google

The ski season in Cyprus typically runs from early January to late March, with the best snow conditions usually between mid-January and mid-March. The ski center is located in the Troodos Mountains on Mount Olympus. While it can snow as early as December and sometimes into April, conditions are most consistent during the peak winter months.

2 Likes
14

Yeah… I was thinking it would be unreasonable for there to be any significant snow in early December…. (That’s torn it now.. I’ve tempted the weather gods).

Ha ha.. yep, first thing I did was check sunset time in early December. It’s around 16:30 local. So if not too cloudy decent twilight until close to 17:00. I’m planning to be well down before then.

Thanks for this info and other stuff sent separately about summits Victor. Paper road map will be deployed and I’ll keep my place on it, while still following SatNav if it seems OK.

2 Likes